Retriever

ABSTRACT

A retriever device for locating a submerged object comprises a base member axially threaded with left hand threads, a spool positionable upon the base member and internally axially threaded with left hand threads, a screw member having contiguous right and left hand threads and holding the spool and the base member in secure position against the object, a retaining member mounted on the base member and including a transverse partition with an axial opening, a float member secured to the retaining member by a water-soluble adhesive means, and including attachment means for a line, and a line attached to the float to secure the float to the spool, and passing through the axial opening of the retaining member in order to be windable around the spool. The device of this invention is also intended to include a gas-generating tablet positionable upon the flat upper surface of the partition of the retaining member. The retaining member is intended to include a passageway fillable with water-soluble material which will, after being submerged in water for a while, dissolve and permit water to enter the internal portion of the device to react with the chemical and assist in separating the float member from the base member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to devices for assisting in retrieving submerged objects such as fishing rods, guns, other sporting equipment, and items of value generally, which have accidentally been dropped into a body of water.

Numerous retrieval devices have been developed in the past. A few of the patents which describe such devices are as follows: Berndt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,198,755; Cardinal, U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,098; Norris et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,539,548; Kanaley, U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,420; Hinman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,980; Foss et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,364; and May et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,418.

The devices described in the above patents may be divided into three general classifications. In the Foss patent, a soluble material simply holds the float in place until the soluble material dissolves. The second group encompasses the Berndt, Cardinal, and Norris et al patents, in which a soluble material holds the float and a spring in place until the soluble material dissolves in water. In a third group may be placed the patents to Kanaley, Hinman, and May et al, in which the device includes a reactant material which has a strongly exothermic reaction with water, such as sodium metal, calcium carbide, or the alkali metal oxides. In the Kanaley and May et al patents, the gas generated by the reaction forces the float away from the body of the device. In the Hinman patent the reactant material covers a string holding a spring in place and the reaction burns through the string to release the float.

It is readily apparent that the inclusion of an exothermic reactant provides an extremely dangerous device. In these types of devices, especially those described above, the reactant may be subject to atmospheric moisture, and the person handling the device is subject to severe injury.

Most of the prior art devices are unsatisfactory and impractical because they are either too complicated to manufacture at a reasonable price, are not designed for efficient usage, or are intended to be used one time only.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the primary object of my invention is to provide a retrieving device which is safe and easy to use, inexpensive, and easy to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a retrieving device which may be easily and firmly secured to the article with which it is intended to be used while at the same time it will not interfere with the proper operation or handling of the article to which it is attached.

Another object of this invention is to provide a retrieving device which is easy to manufacture because it consists of a minimum number of parts and which is compact when the parts are fitted together.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a retrieving device which is inexpensive to manufacture because it consists of a small number of parts which may be manufactured of plastic material.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a retrieving device which may be easily and conveniently re-used.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the accompanying description and drawings and attached claims which describe the invention as comprising a base member axially threaded with left hand threads, a spool positioned on the base member and also being axially threaded with left hand threads, a screw which holds both the spool and base member in secure position against the article to which the device is attached and which screw has contiguous right and left hand threads, a retaining member mounted on the base member and including a transverse partition having an axial opening plus a transverse passageway from an outer edge to the axial opening, a float member secured to the retaining member by water-soluble adhesive means, and a line having a first end attached to the float, passing through the axial opening of the retaining member, and having a second end attached to the spool.

The retriever device of this invention is designed to be attached securely to an article such as a fishing rod, rifle, shotgun, outboard motor, or any other article having a possibility of being accidentally dropped into a body of water. When the device is attached to a fishing rod, it is easily attached to the end of the handle of the rod by removing the protective cork member almost all fishing rods are equipped with and which is held in place by a standard screw, and by positioning the retriever device in place with the standard thread screw with which it is equipped. Should the fishing rod not be equipped with a standard thread, it may easily be threaded to receive the retriever. In the case of a rifle or shotgun, the retriever device may be easily and conveniently attached to the usual flat surface at the lower side of the pistol grip with which the rifle or shotgun is equipped. Thus, it is seen that in either case, the retriever is conveniently out of the way and does not hinder the use of the sporting article as would practically all of the retrieving devices described in the prior art. In the case of an outboard motor or other larger article, a larger model of the retriever may be conveniently placed at any suitable location on the article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view, partly in perspective, of a retriever device according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, partly in cross-section, and partly in perspective, of a retrieving device according to this invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a typical rod showing a retriever device according to this invention attached to the rod.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fishing rod, similar to FIG. 3, showing the rod submerged beneath water and the retriever device as it would be in an operative condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A retriever device for marking the location of a submerged object according to this invention comprises a base member axially threaded with left hand threads; a spool positioned on the base member and also being axially threaded with left hand threads; a screw member holding the spool and base member in secure position against the object also having contiguous right and left hand threads; a retaining member mounted on the base member including a partition having an axial opening, a flat upper surface, being thicker near its perimeter than adjacent said opening, and having a transverse passageway from an outer edge to the axial opening; a float member secured to the retaining member by water-soluble adhesive means; and a line having a first end attached to the float, and passing through the axial opening of the retaining member, and having a second end attached to the spool. A gas-generating tablet may be placed upon the flat upper surface of the aforesaid partition with the tablet having an axial opening through which a line passes. And when such tablet is used, the transverse opening of the retaining member is preferably sealed with a water-soluble chemical in order that the tablet may be protected from normal atmospheric moisture. The water-soluble chemical in the transverse opening and the water-soluble adhesive securing the float member to the retaining member may be selected from suitable chemicals that the reaction time may be properly chosen.

In FIG. 1 a retriever device according to this invention is shown generally at 10 as it would be secured to a typical fishing rod 12, generally, shown partially dotted in FIG. 1 and shown completely in FIG. 3. A screw member 14 secures a spool 16 and a base member 18 in position against the fishing rod 12, or other article with which the retriever is used.

An upper flange 20 of spool 16 has a slightly smaller outside diameter than an inner diameter 22 of base member 18 in order that a line 24, windable around spool 16, may easily pass through the space between flange 20 and base member 18. Screw member 14 includes an upper left hand thread portion 26 and a lower right hand thread portion 28. Left hand thread portion 26 cooperates with inner left hand thread portion 30 of base member 18 and inner left hand thread portion 32 of spool 16 to hold these two components securely against the fishing rod or other article by cooperation of right hand thread portion 28, which is normally a standard screw size, with a similar right hand thread portion of the fishing rod or other article.

A retaining member 34, generally, is positionable, with either water-soluble or insoluble material, as the case may be, to base member 18. Retaining member 34 includes a partition 36 which has a flat upper surface 38 and an axial opening 40. Flat upper surface 38 is provided in order to serve as a support for a gas-generating 42. Tablet 42 also includes an axial opening 44 coaxial with opening 40 and also provided as a passageway for line 24. Gas-generating tablet 42 may be formed of any suitable gas-generating material, but would be preferably formulated of a citric acid-sodium bicarbonate formulation as follows: two parts citric acid, one and one-half parts sodium bicarbonate, and two parts calcium phosphate. Upon reaction with water, a quantity of carbon dioxide is generated to assist in forcing a float member 46 from its position atop retaining member 34. Float member 46 is normally held in reasonably secure position against retaining member 34 by provision of water-soluble adhesive placed flanges 48a and 48b of the float member and flanges 50a and 50b of retaining member 34. Float member 46 includes an axial passageway 52 for passage of line 24 to a position interior of float member 46 where it is held in position by a pin 54 passing through transverse opening 56 and which pin passes through a loop 58 in line 24. Preferably, the upper portion of passageway 52 is filled with any suitable filler material 60, if necessary.

Retaining member 34 includes a transverse opening 62 which is normally filled with a water-soluble chemical 64. Chemical 64 is a chemical preferably chosen to permit entry of water through opening 62 shortly before the water-soluble adhesive holding the float member to the retaining member will dissolve, so that a reaction with gas-generating tablet 42 may start shortly before the float member is released in order to assist in its release. And, preferably, the water-soluble adhesive holding float member 46 to retaining member 34 would be a material such as Borden's No. E304 Glue.

Thus, in use, when the article to which the retriever is attached is accidentally dropped in water, float member 46 will shortly thereafter be released and cause line 24 to unwind, permitting the float member to reach the surface of the water, serving as a means of pinpointing the location of the lost article.

Since many different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described in detail herein are not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A retriever device for locating a submerged object comprising:a base member axially threaded with left hand threads, a spool positioned on the base member and being axially threaded with left hand threads, a screw member holding the spool and base member in secure position against the object and having contiguous right and left hand threads, a retaining member mounted on the base member including a partition having an axial opening, a flat upper surface, being thicker near its perimeter than adjacent said opening, and having a transverse opening from an outer edge to the axial opening, a float member secured to the retaining member by water-soluble adhesive means, and a line, having a first end attached to the float, passing through the axial opening of the retaining member, and having a second end attached to the spool.
 2. A retriever device as described in claim 1 which includesa gas generating tablet disposed upon the flat upper surface of the partition, the tablet having an axial opening through which the line passes, and wherein the transverse opening of the retaining member is normally sealed with a water-soluble chemical.
 3. A retriever device as described in claim 2 whereinthe lower surface of the partition of the retaining member has substantially a conical conformation.
 4. A retriever device as described in claim 3 whereinthe spool has upper and lower flanges to assist in holding the line in place when in a wound condition, and the upper flange is of smaller diameter than the lower flange.
 5. A retriever device as described in claim 4 whereinthe retaining member has a flange around the perimeter and the float member has a recess around the perimeter seatable against the flange of the retaining member.
 6. A retriever device as described in claim 5 whereinthe float member includes attachment means for the line.
 7. A retriever device as described in claim 6 whereinthe attachment means of the float member includes a pin member passing transversely through the float member and passing through a loop of the line to hold the line in place. 